Slide fasteners



Sept. 3, 1957 J. G. SOAVE 2,804,669

suns FASTENERS Original Filed Sept. 22, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORJOHN G. SOAVE ATTORNEY Sept. 3, 1957 J. G. SOAVE SLIDE FASTENERSOriginal Filed Sept. 22, 1953 2 SheeLs-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

' INVENTOR JOHN G. SOAVE ATTORNEY SLIDE FASTENERS John G. Soave, LongIsland City, N. Y., assignor to Waldes-Kohinoor, Ind, Long Island City,N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application September 22,1953, Serial No. 381,553, now Patent No. 2,708,968, dated May 24, 1955.Divided and this application May 18, 1955, Serial No. 509,213

2 Claims. (Cl. 24-29516) This invention relates to improvements in slidefasteners, and more particularly but without limitation to improvedfastener chain for slide fasteners intended for use as trouser-flyclosures and which are accordingly required to be sewn at their top endsinto the trousers waistband.

As set forth in my application Serial No. 381,553, filed September 22,1953, now Patent No. 2,708,968, of which the present application is adivision, it is now standard practice, in the mass production of slidefasteners, to fashion the fastener chain therefor by cutting theindividual fastener-chain lengths from continuous chain, as the latterterm is used in the art to designate a long length of two interconnectedfastener stringers consisting of fastener tapes carrying rows ofuniformly spaced, interengaging fastener elements along their adjacent(usually beaded) edges throughout the entire length of said tapes. Toprovide the elementfree extensions at the ends of the individual lengthsof fastener chain, as was heretofore considered necessary to enable thefasteners to be sewn at their ends to the garments for which they areintended without danger of breakage of the sewing needle, a small numberof the fastener elements were removed from both the end portions of suchlengths of fastener chain. However, the removal of the elements from thetop end of a fas-. tener chain so as to provide the element-freeextension at such end gives rise to ditficulties in handling thefastener chain and in applying the finished fastener to the garmentwaistband in proper position for the sewing operation. For example, thefastener chain having an element-free extension at its upper end isalways open above the slider even in the fastener-closing end positionof the latter, with the result that in handling of the fastener chain,one or both of the element-free tape ends can become disarranged orfolded under the inter-engaged portion of the fastener chain, and whensuch occurs, the disarranged or folded-under tape ends must bestraightened prior to their being sewn to the trousers waistband.Moreover, since the slider for opening and closing the fastener cannotfully close thetop end of the fastener chain provided with anelement-free extension at said top end, it is very diflicult to insertand properly position the two tape ends devoid of fastener elements inor with respect to the trousers waistband, as compared to a fastenerchain which can be fully closed :at its upper end. Finally, since theaccurate alignment of the fastener stringers making up the chain whichis so necessary for smooth operation of the slider and hence of thefastener as a whole is best achieved by fastener elements running to thevery ends of the stringers, it follows that a fastener chain whose topend is open, as through the provision of an element-free extension atsaid end, may give rise to stringer misalignment in use thereof.

Broadly stated, a main object of the invention is the provision offastener chain for slide fasteners of the type adapted to be sewed attheir upper end into a garment,

2,8Mfi9 Patented Sept. 3, 1957 ice for example, a trousers waistband,characterized in that provision is made for the sewing needle to passthrough the chain as necessary in the sewing operation but withoutdanger of needle breakage, and at the same time for maintaining the topend of the chain fully closed thereby simplifying the handling of thefastener chains and facilitating its insertion in the trousers waistbandpreliminary to said sewing operation.

More particularly, the invention contemplates and provides fastenerchain for slide fasteners of the type adapted to be sewn at their topend into the fold of a garment, such as a trousers waistband and thelike, and which is characterized by an element-free needle gap located apredetermined distance from the top-end edge of the chain as results inthe retention of a small number of the fastener elements interveningbetween said gap and said edge. Such a gap provides for safe passage ofthe sewing needle through the chain and also in the chain beingeffectively closed at its top end, the latter being a feature ofadvantage in that the fastener chain which is fully closed at its topmay be more simply handled and inserted into a trousers waistband than afastener chain whose upper end is open, i. e. devoid of fastenerelements. The retention of a small number of elements above the gap isalso of advantage, since the retained elements serve as a bridgetop-stop for the slider which prevents it from being accidentally runoff the chain prior to completion of the sewing operation. The retainedfastener elements extending between gap and top-end edge of the fastenerchain also insure against stringer misalignment having its source in theelement-free extension as heretofore provided at the top end of thefastener chain.

The above and other objects and'features of advantage of fastener chainaccording to the invention will appear from the following detaileddescription thereof, in which reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings forming a part thereof, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a broken-away plan view of a length of fastener chain madeaccording to the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a broken-away plan view of a fly closure incorporating afastener chain as shown in Fig. l employed as the closure of a waistbandopening of a garment such as :a pair of trousers.

Referring to said drawings, reference numeral 10 (Fig. 1) generallydesignates a measured length of slide fastener chain comprising twolaterally spaced stringer tapes 12, 14 carrying along their adjacentlongitudinal edges, which are usually beaded, rows of oppositelydisposed and uniformly spaced fastener elements 16, 18 whose couplingheads are interengaged so as to secure the tapes together throughout theentire length thereof occupied by said rows of elements. Illustratively,the fastener chain 10 is provided at one end, i. e. its bottom end, withan element-free extension resulting from the bottom-end tape portions20a, 2% being devoid of the fastener elements 16, 18. Accordingly, thechain may be secured at its lower end to a garment as by sewing throughsaid bottom-end element-free extension, without danger of breakage ofthe sewing needle caused by the needle hitting on one of the fastenerelements 16 or 18. The aforesaid tape portions 20a, 20b forming theelement free extension may also be readily folded on themselves, if suchis desired as an incident to the securing operation.

According to the invention, the other or top end of the fastener chain,rather than being provided with an element-free extension correspondingto the aforesaid element-free extension at the bottom end, iseffectively closed, while at the same time provision is made for safepassage of the needle through the chain in sewing the top end of thefastener to the garment or garment part. More particularly, it is afeature of the invention that but a few (two .or three) of the fastenerelements 16, 18 are re moved from the chain at a location along.th.e.length thereof corresponding to the point at which the sewingneedle passes through the chain tapes in the sewing operation, which,pointis usually spacedthe smalldistance occupied ,by two or :threefastener elements downwardly from the top-endedge of the fastenerchain,-.and that the fastener elements intervening between said pointandsaid top-end edge are retainedin their interengaged relation. Asshown inthe drawing, suchresults in.the.provision of a needle gap designated. gof length corresponding to that occupied by two or three of the fastenerelements 16, 18 and :which :is spaced from the top-end edgeof thefastener chain 10 a distancealsocorresponding .to .that occupied by two:or three. of thefastenerelements-such as the elements designated "16a,18a.

The :advantagesof fastenerchain characterized by a gap 1g locatedasaforesaid are numerous, willbe-in part seen from aconsideration of.-Fig.'2, '.wherein;a 'fastener chain 10.of the invention and acompanion pairof .fly strips :22, .24 to which thechaintapes 12,"1'4:are secured in .theusual manneras by sewing, combine'to form'a flyclosure forthe waistband'opening of a'garment suchasa pairof trousers.In addition to the fastenerrows 16, 18 each;havinga:space or needle gapg1free of fastenervelements which is accurately located atthe point offastener chainlength .through which passes the sewing needle employed tosew the top end ofthe fastenerchainintothe garment fold. or waistband26, the retained elements sl6a, 18a serve ;during the operation .ofsewing the fastener tapes 12, 14 to the fiy-strip'portions 22,24 oftheclosure unit tomaintain the top end of the fastener chain closed above:the gap, thereby to simplify its normal handling and also'to facilitateits insertion into the garment fold or waistband. Moreover, the retainedelements 16a, 18a have good eifect in properly relating the stringertapes at all .times and inassuring top-end alignment of the stringers.Equally important is the fact that said retained ele ments serve,.nponassembly of theslider therewith,-as a top-stop for the slider, thuspreventing the slider from running off the fastener chain prior tothesecurement of its upper end'to the garment.

While measured lengths of fastener chain according to the presentinvention maybe and preferably are produced in quantity by the practiceofthe method disclosed and claimed in my aforesaid Patent No.2;708,968,-it is possible to produce fastener chain to desiredslide-fastener lengths as herein proposed and claimed by other methodsas well. Accordingly, I do not ,wish to, limit myself as respects themanner or mode of producing fastener chain of the present invention.Moreover, as many changes could be made in carrying out the aboveconstructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not ina limiting sense.

I claim:

1. For use in a slide fastener fiy-closure adapted to be sewn at its topend into the waistband of a pair of trousers and like garments, ameasured length of fastener chain whose length corresponds substantiallyto that of the fly closure comprising companion stringers carrying rowsof oppositely disposed uniformly spaced fastener elements along theiradjacent longitudinal edges and which are adapted to be engaged anddisengaged by a slider, the chain containing within itsmeasured lengthan elementfree gapfor passageof the sewing needle disposed adjacent'itstop end, said gap being spaced from the top-end edge of the chain afixed distance equaling the space occupied by a small number of thefastener elements of the rows thereof, said small number of elementsbeing normally interengaged thereby to maintain alignment of thestringers both when the said stringers are being sewn totheircorresponding fly-piece portions of the fiy closure and when the fiyclosure is being sewn in the trousers waistband and also providing atemporary bridge -top stop for the slider during application of thelatter to the measured length of fastener chain.

2. A-fastener chain for a fiy-closure characterized'as in claim 1,wherein the chain is adapted to be sewn at its lower end to the crotchof the trousers and has an elementfree extension at its said lower endwhich enables said end to be folded and provides for passage of thesewing needle.

References Cited inthe file of this patent

